Oyster opening apparatus



June 21, 1949. "J. L. PLO CK OYSTER OPENING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1946 INVENTOR Jolm LPlodZ Patented June 21 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OYSTER OPENING APPARATUS John L. Plock', Southold, N. Y.

Application January 30, 1946, Serial 'No. 644,265

3 Claims. (01. 179) My invention relates to a method and apparatus for opening bivalves such as oysters and is an improvement over the invention of my application Serial Number 618,122 filed September 24, 1945. It has been customary to open such shells by inserting a knife blade between the two valves of a shell in order to cut the adclucator muscle. This is a slow and difficult operation and requires ,a high degree of skill and frequently results in injury to the operator. My object is to simplify the process and make it easier, cleaner and safer so that oysters can be opened by almost any one at home or in small or large kitchens.

Accordingly instead of attempting to separate the valves by first breaking the shell and cutting the adductor muscle, I separate the two valves by turning one valve with respect to the other in the general plane of the meeting edges. This can be done in various ways but preferably by mechanism having jaws for engaging the opposite sides of the valves and turning or sliding one valve across the fac of the other valve so as to twist the body of the oyster and tear the adducator muscle away from the left or deep valve and break the hinge. The adductor muscle is then easily cut away from the right or shallow valve with an oyster knife.

Fig. 1 is a side view on a small scale of one form of machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view showing the approximate position of an oystershell and the jaw members at the start of the opening operation.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the parts in the position of Fig, 2.

Fig. 4 is an edge view showing the relative positions of the jaws and the oyster shell when partially opened.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the relative positions of the oyster shell and the jaws corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with the shell swung around somewhat from the position of Fig. 5.

The drawing shows a typical oyster having the so-called deep or left valve l and the shallow or right valve 2. These valves are hinged together at 3 and connected by an adductor muscle 4.

To open the oyster, the shell is supported on the deep valve side and pressure is applied to the shallow valve in a plane generally or approximately parallel with the central plane passing through the edges of the valves so as to move the shallow valve across the face of the deep valve, shear the adductor muscle away from the deep Valve and break the hinge. The oyster body is then separated from the shallow valve by merely cutting the adductor muscle away from it by a very simple and easy movement of a knife.

To facilitate the separation of the parts of the shell, I have provided a frame 5 which has an elongated base 6 and a head 1 having arms 8 and 9 in which is guided a plunger II]. This plunger has a spring I! interposed between the arm 9 and a shoulder [2 on the plunger so that the plunger is normally held in the upper position. The plunger can be depressed by use of the handle lever is which is hinged at l4 to the plunger and connected to the frame by a hinged link 15. A detachable U-shaped shield l6 extends around the front and sides of the arms 8 and 9 and encloses and protects the spring and plunger between the arms 8 and 9. The two jaw members ii and i3 are detachably mounted on the base and on the plunger, respectively, jaw member l1 being secured by screws l9, Hi to the support 20 and jaw member 18 being secured to the plunger by a set screw 2 I. The lower jaw member I! has a point 22 adapted to support the deep valve of the oyster as shown in the drawings. The upper member 18 has a main point 23 adapted to engage the upper portion of the shallow valve as shown in the drawings and an auxiliary point 24. The jaw parts are so constructed and located that for good results the main upper jaw point 23 is approximately 1' 5" in front of the lower jaw point 22 and approximately to the left of point 22 (looking at the apparatus from the front). The auxiliary upper jaw point 24 is approximately in the same vertical plane as the main point 23 but about of an inch to the left as viewed in Figs. 3, 5 and 6.

To secure the best results, the face of the jaw member l8 against which the shallow valve is brought is preferably inclined at the approximate angle at which the shell is held and the opposite side of the jaw member has an abrupt shoulder close to the point 23. This construction facilitates the shearing action and prevents the moving jaw member from entering between the valves.

To open an oyster, it is held in the left hand and supported on the lower jaw point .22 in a position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,- the principal support being beneath the location of the adductor muscle, the adductor muscle being usually located in the center of the widest portion of the shell. The longitudinal axis of the shell is approximately horizontal and the shell held slightly inclined as shown in Fig. 2. The plunger is then depressed and the upper jaw member l8 brought down until th point 23 catches in a roughness of the shallow Fig. shows the usual position of the shell when.

being operated on, inclined slightly to the face" of the jaw member H. In case theapointizal does not quickly catch in a rough spot on-the. valve. 2, the shell can be turned and tilted slightly to' theposition of Fig. 6 whereupon-the: auxiliary. Point;

24 will take hold and enable the operator, to com,- plete the opening of the shell.

Although the present; apparatus is intended to 'beportabl'e it' may be supporte'd on a wall if desired. The-exact-design is immaterialto the' invention' as herein-- describedl.

The apparatus=may alsohe advantageously used to separate oysters which may be secured together in a cluster as theyfrequently are. In

suchcases, the points off thejawszare' applied at rough parts=of the respectiveshells and then one jaw is moved toward the= other so as. to force the" shells apart;

Very few people are able to openoysters in theusual way and as a result the householder feels obliged to' buy already opened oysters. In fact" a great many smaller restaurants and din ing rooms-areunable-t'o use oysters in theshell for the reasonthat 'they'have no one-who'ds able to open=oystersin the usual way=by hand; My

inventionis so' simple and'- theapparatus so easy to operate that any one can lie-taught to use the apparatus a few: moments thus making it possible and convenient for a general andi wide use of oysters-in'the shell to be openedat home-or i'n any-restaurant or kitchen.

Prior art patents show apparatus" for opening oyster shells invol'vingthe use of a knife or knives 'forentering between thevalves and" cutting the oyster-from one of the valves in a manner-likely to injure the meat of the oyster; In contrast with such mechanism and metho'ds' 1? provide" ap paratus by" which thevalves' are" separated with:- out the use ot'a-lc nife and without touching the meat. In fact the movable jaw member'is formed with an abrupt shoulder alongside ofitsgripping prong which in case the prong should slipwill prevent the prong from" entering: between" the valves to injure themeat:

I claim: 1 A machine-for opening'ovst'ershel-l's comprising a" framehaving a stationaryjawmember constituti'ng an abutment for supporting the outer face of" the deep -valve=-of=' oyster'shellbetween the endsthereof but leaving a free space along,

side-ofthe abutment) to allow for-the free movement' of' the shallow valve of'' the oyster across the face of the-deep valvewhen the*latter-is*supported by the abutment, a movable'jaw member havingshort prong for engagingthe outer 'faceof'the sha1low-valve-of the oyster whichis supported ontheabutment'and having a shoulder adjacent said prong for-preventing thesaid movable jaw member: fromenteringbetween*theedges off the. shell; and means for moving the-movable jaw member against the outer face of the shallow valve when the shell is supported between the ends of the shell and thereby moving the shallow valve across the inner face of the deep valve and tearing the adductor muscle from the deep valve without entering between the valves.

2. A machine for opening oyster shells comprising a frame having a stationary jaw member forming an abutment for supporting the outer face; ofithee deep valvezof an oysten'between the ends thereof but leaving a free space alongside of the abutment to allow for the free movement of the shallow valve of the oyster across the face of: the: deepvalve when the latter is supported by the abutment, a movable jaw member having two" shortprongs spaced apart from each other for. en agingjthe. outer face of the shallow valve of the oyster which is supported on the abutment, said movable jaw member having a transverse shoulder near the prongs for preventing the movahlezj awmembenfrom entering. between-the "edges of: the: shell: and: means: for moving thea movable jawlmember with'itsiprongs against theoutcnface of: the: shallow valve; between: the? ends of. the shell: im a; direction. out" of; alinementa with: the stationary jaw: member. and thereby moving the shallow valve; across. the: inner: face. of! the deep valve. and: tearing' theadductor: muscle: from the deep: valve. without: entering :betweenxthe valves.

3; Amachineefon opening: oystershells-zcomprisringta frame:havingxa.base; a stationary-j aw 'mem her on -.the-.'base, .saich jaw:memberrhaving :an'up wardly projecting: portiomwith: one of its'- side surfaces tapering: upwardly: and outwardly to f own: a short! prong; a vplungermovably carriedb'y the, framezabovezsaid stationary. jaw member; an integralihead' onzthealower: end of said plunger having a portion: of its; side face-tapered down+ wardly; and inwardly; theietaperedaportioniof said head extending:downwarrlly:to form a;pr.ong ofi-fset! laterallyrandjorwardly, fromvthe'eprong of the stationary. jaw member; saidljaw membersabeing normally: spaced: apart, a: distance sufiicient': to receive 1 an oysterrshell held therebetween in. verticalpositioniw'ithithe lowerfac'e :ofthe deep valve of. theaoyster'impinged upon the: prong of the stationary jaw member and with thes uppen'face either-shallowwaivezofzthewystenin line with the path of: movement: of: the: prongs: off the: movable jaw; member wherebyvther shallow. valve may be sheared. off: of; the; deep: valve? upon downward movement of:theaeplunger;

JOHN. L.. PL'OCK.

REFERENCES: GI-TsED:

The following references are of record in: the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 6915-31 Barbarin Oct; 8; 1867 848,608 Torsch-etal. Mar. 26, 1907 904,000 Molnar NOV. 17, 1908 11117 726 Varga NOV; 17, 1914 1,2281383 Abbate June'5,-,19'l7 1,5l0,'-3'-l3- Dickerson Sept130,-1924 1,555518 Ramey- Sept; 29; 1925 1,679'787' Schermer Aug. 7, 1928 683,113 Whelan" Sept; 4,1928 119743766" B'oudreaux Sept. 25; 1934 25133529 Benson Oct. 18, 1938 2354;928 Hag-upos" Aug. 1; 1944 

